This year, I have had the honor of working with my school’s student help desk. It is great group of tech-proficient students who work to resolve technology issues and empower others to do the same. We have a lot of fun and learn a great deal.

I have started writing articles for their blog, and I thought I should probably add those here as well. Anyway, here it is.

Hi, I am Charlie Vorbach and today I have the honor of providing you this week’s Student Helpdesk update. I have decide I want to talk about the school’s technology policy, STEAM focus, and, to mix it up, slime molds.

Now unless you have been hiding under a rock the past few years, you have probably heard how important emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, Mathematics in schools is. Depending on who you talk to, STEAM might be the only way to ensure success, wealth, and social acceptance in our modern, super-competitive world.

At least, many people seem to think so. The President has given speeches advocating for STEAM, Bill Gates has given millions of dollars to support science and engineering education, and every lowly student is trying to fill their resumes with science and technology padding.

This vocal support for STEAM education has raised an opposition; detractors point out that not everyone can study STEAM, nor does everyone want to. I think partly true, but it overlooks technology/engineering skills’ broader applicability to problem-solving and how they influence every field from anthropology to zoology. Besides, changes in the global economy have allowed tech-savvy workers to prosper, something schools should aspire for their students.

Over the past few years, Bronxville has done an good job gradually introducing new classroom technology and emphasizing project-based, problem-solving courses. Chromebook carts and fancy ‘Innovation Labs’ have been slowly sprouting all over the school. After a few grumbles, students and teachers have gotten used to a new, infinitely-improved student portal.

Massive demand for AP Computer Science this year has spawned (keeping with the biology theme) multiple introductory and advanced programming courses. Advanced Physics and Introduction to Engineering has brought problem-solving and design challenges into the classroom as students build inductive iPhone chargers and water rockets. New independent studies (like help desk!) allow students to embrace project-based learning. Groups are building robots and programming autonomous drones. I hear someone even did something with plasma physics.

That brings me to slime molds. Incubator, hence the pun, is new club imported from Finland that promotes student research. Here are just a few of the ideas floating around the Facebook group.

• Hydrogen fuel cell

• Charge your phone with schools’’ left over fruits

• Plant graffiti

• Floating water skis for wave-skiing

• Corn starch armor

• Music composed of clicking noises with your tongue

• Bus tracker using Bluetooth receivers on each bus stop and emitters on every bus

• Audio spotlight

• Portable ping pong cannon backpack

I think it is amazing how creative Bronxville students can be and how impactful their ideas potentially are.

… Well, at least some of them. I can’t really see corn starch armor.